Our goal is to give you the most up-to-date, accurate information about your state DMV's processes. The date you see here reflects the most recent time we've verified this information with your state DMV. When they change something, we do, too!

Passport Card & Enhanced Driver License

If you have upcoming international travel, let RushMyPassport.com help you renew your passport fast. Your passport renewal application is submitted directly to the passport office for expedited processing.

The U.S. has introduced a couple new government-approved documents to help us travel easier:

Passport card—Basically a limited-use passport.

Enhanced driver's license—Acts both as a driver license AND a travel document, but also with limits.

We'll walk you through the basic differences of each of these documents, and help you determine which one is right for you.

Passport Cards

The U.S. Passport Card (also known as a PASS Card) is a
less expensive, wallet-sized version of a traditional passport—with a few travel-use conditions.

PASS Cards come equipped with a
microchip that assigns a distinct number to its owner. This number, through vicinity-read radio frequency technology, matches up with a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) database to promote more secure crossings with faster queuing.

Thus, your passport card acts as
approved identification at border communities—for example, when you travel by land or sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean)—however, it isNOT approved for air travel and CANNOT be used as an international travel document recognized worldwide.

Differences: Passport Card vs. Passport

Perhaps the biggest difference between a passport card and a traditional passport is that:

Traditional passports are valid for international travel by air, sea, and land;WHEREAS

Passport cards are valid only for re-entering the U.S. at land borders or sea ports-of-entry from:

Cost: Both first-time applicants and renewing applicants pay more for passports than they do for passport cards.

However, both traditional passports and U.S. passport cards are
valid for the same length of time.

Applying for a Passport Card

All U.S. citizens can apply for a passport card; however, if you
already have a valid traditional passport, you don't need a passport card to travel internationally.

The application process depends on whether you need to apply as a:

In-person applicant.

Mail-in application.OR

Expedited passport.

In-Person Applicants

Anyone who has
never before applied for a passport or passport card must apply in person.

Additionally, you
must apply in person if you:

Are younger than 16 years old.

Had a previous passport that was:

Issued when you were under 16 years old.

Damaged, lost or stolen.

Issued more than 15 years ago.

Have changed your name since your last passport issuance AND are unable to legally document the name change.

Refer to the U.S. State Department's
page on first-time applicants for additional information regarding special requirements for minors of various ages, applying outside of the U.S., applying for a Diplomatic passport, and more.

When you're ready, apply at your nearest
passport acceptance facility using the Application For a U.S. Passport (Form DS-11). This form provides all information about all application requirements including how to prove U.S. citizenship, ways to prove your identity, acceptable color photographs, and more.

Enhanced Driver's Licenses (EDL)

As the name suggests, an enhanced driver's license (EDL) is a driver license with a few extra perks. For example, an EDL resembles a passport card in that it:

Offers both convenience and easy portability.

Provides proof of:

Identification.

U.S. citizenship.

Allows you to re-enter the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Also like a passport card, an EDL is
accepted only at land and sea border crossings—not for air travel. It also contains radio-frequency microchipping that uniquely identifies you in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) databases, which should promote a more expeditious cross. They are also in full compliance with the new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) security measures.

Applying for an Enhanced Driver's License

Unfortunately, not all U.S. states (or Canadian provinces) issue EDLs—yet.